TiVo pacts with Disney

Subscribers can rent titles directly from their TVs

TiVo has inked another broadband deal that will allow subscribers to rent Disney movies directly from their TVs.

Under the pact with Disney-ABC and CinemaNow, unveiled hours before the company issued better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings, TiVo users will be able to rent pics for a 24-hour period starting later this year.

TiVo partnered with Amazon’s Unbox service on movie rentals and purchases last year and recently inked a deal enabling subscribers to access YouTube videos on its digital video recorders this summer.

TiVo earnings more than tripled to $3.6 million for the quarter ended April 30, up 336% from $835,000 in the year-earlier period, on lower marketing and research costs. Revenue declined 5.5% to $54.9 million on fewer subscribers — 3.8 million, down 11.6% from 4.3 million a year earlier.

TiVo projected a net loss of $2 million-$4 million in the current fiscal quarter. Shares closed down 1.9% to $8.10 at the end of market trading.